Barriers of Understanding
by pumpkin314159
Summary: Why did Q decide to visit Voyager again? In an attempt to figure out what Q is up to, Janeway and Chakotay learn just what it means to be in each other's shoes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to Paramount, not me.

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Chakotay stood outside the door to the captain's quarters, a bottle of wine in his hand as he pressed the door chime. The door instantly opened and Chakotay entered. His gaze searched the dim room that was lit mainly by the flickering light from the candles on the table. "Kathryn?" he asked when he didn't see her.

Poking her head through the doorway that led to her bedroom, she grinned at him, "Here. I just need another moment."

Chakotay smiled at her and nodded as he made his way to the table to set the wine down. The place setting was as it always was for their weekly dinners, with a white, lace tablecloth and flowers and roses on the table. If he didn't know better, the setting would have appeared to be that of a romantic dinner, not a weekly meeting between two friends and co-workers. Kathryn, he noted, always put so much effort into their dinners. Even if her attempts to cook were unsuccessful more often than not, she did put a fair amount of effort into cooking for him. He learned long ago to refrain from commenting on her cooking, even if it sometimes tasted just as lethal as Neelix's newest leola root concoction. He valued the time they spent together during these dinners, so he dutifully choked down whatever she cooked.

Speaking of cooking, he turned his eyes towards the replicator and saw smoke starting to emerge. Hurrying over, he saw that their dinner, or the remains of their dinner, was hopelessly burned. Typical Kathryn. Kathryn choose that moment to emerge from her room. Seeing him at the replicator, she hurried over and pulled the pan from the warm surface.

"Damn," she mumbled glaring at the incinerated lump of blackened food. "I guess I'll just replicate us something instead."

"I'll leave you to it," Chakotay said doubtfully as he went and sat at the table.

A few moments later, Kathryn joined him with two plates of steaming vegetable lasagna in her hands. She set them down at the table as Chakotay poured them two glasses of wine. "I'm sorry about dinner," Kathryn said the moment she sat down as well.

"This is good," Chakotay said as he took his first bite.

Kathryn glared at him. "Don't give me that. I know replicated food never tastes as good as real food, but..."

"I understand," Chakotay interrupted her as he took another bite. "It's actually quite good." Kathryn raised her eyebrow in disbelief, a sign that reminded Chakotay of a certain Vulcan crew member she was rather close to.

Instead of commenting, Kathryn raised the wineglass to her lips and took a sip. "Not synthenol?" she questioned. Chakotay grinned sheepishly at her, confirming her question. "Why, Commander, are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Not at all, _Captain_." Chakotay emphasized her rank. "I just want to get you a little tipsy."

After taking another sip, Kathryn replied, "If you wanted me to take a break, you should have just said so."

"Would you have listened?"

"That's beside the point," Kathryn protested. "I'm too busy to be taking vacations."

Chakotay looked unblinkingly at her. "Just a few hours in the holodeck? Kathryn, you haven't taken any personal time in over a month. It's long overdue."

"The captain..." Kathryn started to protest.

"Can delegate," Chakotay finished for her. "Almost any command decision you can pass onto me. You don't have to review as many reports. Take a few hours off. The ship can handle your absence."

Kathryn wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Are you saying the ship doesn't need me?"

"Not at all," Chakotay replied instantly. "The ship and the crew does need you, but you could take a break, have some time to yourself. They'd understand."

"Then why don't you take some time off if you think it is so important for the crew to see us acting like normal humans?" Kathryn challenged.

Chakotay chuckled. "I'd love to, but unlike someone, my job can't just be put on hold."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"Commander," Kathryn started, "I overheard an interesting conversation this morning in the mess hall."

"Oh?" Chakotay asked as he raised his eyebrow. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was picking up a certain Vulcan's mannerisms.

"Apparently, the crew seems to think that I overwork you. They are under the impression that I'm to hard on you. Is it true?"

Chakotay wasn't quite sure that she was asking. Oh, on the surface, his answer was easy. He was constantly worked, but he enjoyed his job. Voyager was his home, and he liked it there. What he couldn't tell was the question hidden below the surface. Playing it safe, he responded, "I promised you once that I would do all I could to make your burdens lighter. Nothing has changed since then."

"So you're saying your job is harder than mine."

"Don't put words into my mouth."

"But that's what you were thinking." Kathryn studied the face of her first officer for a moment before she continued, an amused grin on her face, "I was once a first officer too, you know. It's not that bad."

"With all due respect," Chakotay protested, "You weren't the first officer on Voyager. I doubt you could handle it."

"Is that so?" Kathryn questioned.

"I don't believe you." Kathryn's eyes changed, a subtle fire ignited just below the surface as she took in what he said. Anger starting to set in, she said, "You don't think I could handle your job."

"No, I don't." Later, Chakotay would blame his response on the alcohol. A mad Kathryn Janeway as a scary Kathryn Janeway, and he was prodding her into dangerous territory.

"And you think my job is so easy, making decisions that could result in the deaths of people under my command." This time, Kathryn's anger was clearly on the surface of her retort.

"I, too, was once a captain. Being your first officer is harder."

Kathryn narrowed her gaze at him. She was about to make an angry retort when a voice off to the side remarked, "Trouble in paradise?"

Kathryn and Chakotay both turned to face the owner of the voice. Kathryn narrowed her eyes as she saw the familiar face. "What do you want Q?" She wanted to tell Q to get off her ship, but knowing he would just ignore her and do whatever he pleased, she decided not to start a futile battle.

"Oh, nothing," Q replied before he disappeared, leaving a bewildered looking command team behind.

"Janeway to the Bridge."

"Go ahead," Harry Kim's voice could be heard over the comm link.

"I just had a visit from Q. Scan the ship and alert me the next time he appears."

"Aye captain. Bridge out."

As the comm link cut off, Chakotay turned to face Janeway. "He's up to something," Chakotay commented. They had never before had an entirely innocent visit from Q. With him, it was never nothing.

"The problem is what," Janeway responded wryly.


	2. Chapter 2

Janeway slowly blinked her eyes and stretched as she prepared to get out of bed. She groggily stared around at her surroundings, only to realize that she wasn't in her room. Instead of her familiar pictures on the nightstand, she spotted Chakotay's medicine bundle on the wall. As she looked around the room, she noticed nothing belonged to her, and came to a realization that she was in Chakotay's rooms. The last thing she remembered from the night before was putting on her cream nightgown before getting into her bed. Her own bed. She had no explanation for why she woke up in Chakotay's bed.

Pushing back the covers, she decided to go in search of the man whose quarters she was currently occupying. As she rose, she noticed three things. First, she couldn't feel any of her hair on her neck. Second, her chest was suddenly lighter. And thirdly, the most disturbing of her realizations, was that there was something protruding awkwardly from between the apex of her thighs. Kathryn looked down horrified as she saw something on her body that wasn't supposed to be there.

Not giving any thoughts as to why she was completely naked, she rushed towards the bathroom and looked in the mirror, but the image that was staring back at her did not posses her auburn hair, blue eyes, and pale skin with freckles. No, the face she was looking back at was just as familiar, with dark tan skin, deep black eyes and a tattoo on the right side of her forehead. The image she saw before her was that of Commander Chakotay.

Trying not to panic, Kathryn returned to Chakotay's bedroom in search of clothes, but she was suddenly at a loss. Spying the dresser in the corner, she headed there. Opening the top drawer, she saw a selection of boxers. Well, that settled one question, she reasoned as she hurriedly put on the garment. Opening the next few drawers, however, all she saw were Chakotay's off duty clothes. His uniform had to be somewhere, she reasoned, and she certainly couldn't go around the ship in only boxers, even if she did look like Chakotay at the moment.

Closing the dresser drawers, she moved around the room. His uniform wasn't on any of his chairs, nor was it in his closet. Janeway was about to despair and try replicating a uniform when she spotted a drawer in his nightstand. "Ah-ha!" she exclaimed as she finally found the uniform. In no time, she was fully dressed. On top of the nightstand, she noticed the Maquis rank bar and a comm badge. She was tempted to go to the replicator to replicate her usual four pips, but if the crew were to see what appeared to be Chakotay with the Captain's pips, they would become confused. Not to mention she didn't want to waste her rations on more pips. Instead, she pinned the rank bar to her collar and put on the comm badge.

Taping the comm badge, she said, "Janeway to Chakotay." No response. "Janeway to Chakotay," she tried again, but still the comm badge did nothing.

Realizing that it was Chakotay's voice and Chakotay's comm badge, she tried again, "Chakotay to Janeway."


	3. Chapter 3

Chakotay opened his eyes, and as they adjusted to the light in the room, the first thing he noticed was his medicine bundle was missing. Jumping out of bed, Chakotay took in his surroundings. The room was filled with pictures of Kathryn Janeway. Some of the people with her he recognized as her mother, Gretchen, and her sister, Phoebe, but others were unfamiliar to him.

Chakotay determined that he must have been in Kathryn Janeway's bedroom, though he had remembered going back to his quarters after their dinner the previous night. He imagined he would remember if he spent the night in the Captain's bed. Not to mention he assumed she would be there with him, but she was clearly absent.

He left the room, but a quick search of her living room was also empty. Checking the bathroom, he walked past the mirror before noticing something was wrong. Horribly wrong. Kathryn Janeway was in the room, but as he turned to look for her, she wasn't there. He walked past the mirror again, and once more he saw her reflection in the mirror. Turning around, he still couldn't locate her. "Kathryn?" he asked, but it wasn't his deep voice that sounded. No, it wasn't his deep voice that he heard, but something a bit higher pitched, a feminine voice. It was the voice of Kathryn Janeway.

He spun to face the mirror, and instead of seeing his own image, he was confronted by pale skin, auburn hair that was splayed every direction, and blue eyes. Most surprising was he was wearing a pink nightgown. Pink! Something was wrong. For all intents and purposes, he looked like Kathryn Janeway. Almost unaware of his actions, he reached his hands up and gently brushed them across his chest. There was no mistaking the breasts. He was in Kathryn Janeway's body.

His logical mind told him that he should get dressed and report to sickbay. The doctor could figure out whatever happened to them. He reentered Janeway's bedroom and made his way over to the dresser. He found one of her uniforms. Trying not to look at her body as he slipped off the nightgown and put on the uniform, he couldn't help but notice the curves over her body. The uniform fit her differently. Although they were unisex, he felt it was tighter around the waist and chest then his own uniform. On top of the dresser, he noticed her four pips. Deciding that it would be best to put them on, he pinned them to his uniform. The only thing left was to locate her comm badge. The only problem was it wasn't on top of her dresser or nightstand, and he had no idea where else that small device would be.

"Chakotay to Janeway," he heard the familiar beeping of the comm badge from the living room.

Crossing over to the coffee table, he tapped the comm badge and said, "Janeway here."

"Are you Chakotay?" his voice asked him. Hearing his own voice speak to him was one of the most disturbing things he had ever heard.

"Kathryn?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes." Neither was sure what to say after that. "Meet me in sickbay. Janeway out."

Instead of the comm line going blank, it remained open. "Janeway out," Chakotay said instead.


	4. Chapter 4

"Captain, commander, what can I do for you?" the EMH asked as soon as Kathryn and Chakotay entered sickbay. His voice revealed a touch of concern. If it were Chakotay visiting, he wouldn't be too worried, but the fact that the captain was there voluntarily indicated something was wrong.

"Doctor," the man who appeared to be Chakotay began, "I know this is weird, but I'm actually Captain Janeway, and she-" Kathryn indicated towards Chakotay "-or should I say he, is Chakotay."

The doctor looked perplexed, but he picked up his medical tricorder and started scanning Chakotay. "So you are not, in fact, Captain Janeway?" he asked Chakotay. If he felt strange asking that question to a person who looked exactly like Janeway, he said nothing.

"That is correct," Chakotay responded.

The doctor moved over to scan Kathryn. When he finished, he addressed the pair, "I can find no reason for this. Captain," he indicated towards Kathryn, "Your DNA is identical to that of Chakotay, just as his DNA is identical to that Captain Janeway's DNA." The doctor paused for a moment, perplexed at the situation and how he should address his two commanding officers. "Of course, I would like to run some more neurological scans, but from what I can tell, even your epigenetics are identical to that of the other. Captain, as far as I am concerned you are Commander Chakotay."

Both Kathryn and Chakotay looked upset by the doctor's news. Suddenly, Chakotay stared directly at Kathryn and said, "Q."

"You called?" a familiar voice taunted from behind them.

"Q," Janeway narrowed her eyes at the entity. "What did you do to us?"

Arrogantly, Q replied, "Is it really not obvious?"

"Switch us back," Chakotay demanded.

"Let me think about it," Q said. He started playing with his fingers as he stared off into space. Only a few moment passed before he said, "How about no."

"Switch us back," Kathryn reiterated.

"You humans don't have any fun." Kathryn would have tried to wipe the smirk off Q's face if not for the fact that she didn't want to provoke him any more than necessary. She hoped that if she remained calm enough, he would grow bored with whatever he was up to and switch them back. Unfortunately, Q had no intentions of switching them back. Addressing the doctor, he said, "I'm the only one who can switch them back. You don't need to even bother trying. You won't be successful."

The doctor looked at Q indignantly. Just as he tried to utter a retort, Q waved his hand and rendered the doctor unable to make noise. "Isn't this an improvement," he said.

"Give the doctor back his voice," Kathryn demanded, "and switch us back."

"If you insist," Q said as he lazily waved his hand. The doctor, his voice restored, spluttered in indignation, though no one else was listening to him. "I will switch you back when I see fit."

Before Kathryn or Chakotay could say anything, Q disappeared. At that moment, Chakotay's comm badge chirped, "Bridge to Janeway."

Tapping the comm badge, Chakotay replied, "Go ahead."

Harry Kim's voice sounded over the device. "We just detected Q in sickbay."

"I'm aware," Chakotay said dryly.

Harry's voice sounded surprised as he replied, "Very well. Bridge out."

When Chakotay refocused his attention to the people in front of him, a still indignant looking doctor and a mad Kathryn Janeway in his body, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Kathryn, I'm sure you don't want the whole ship to know about this."

Kathryn signed, a sound that Chakotay was unaccustomed to hearing from his own body. If the doctor's look of surprise was any indication, the EMH was unaccustomed to hearing those sounds from Chakotay as well. "I agree with you. Doctor, I don't want you to tell anyone about this, but I want a solution as quickly as possible. See if you can figure out what is wrong."

"Aye, Captain," the EMH replied.

Chakotay said, "Seeing as our shifts start in thirty minutes, we should probably go get breakfast."

Janeway was about to voice her agreement when she suddenly seemed to take in what Chakotay was wearing. "I don't think that would be appropriate."

"And why not?" Chakotay asked confused.

Janeway looked at him for a moment before telling him in a voice that indicated what she had to say should be totally obvious, "I can't walk around the ship looking like that. My hair is a mess and I have no makeup on."

Chakotay looked at Kathryn blankly for a minute. "Hair and makeup? That's what you're worried about?" he asked incredulously.

In an atypical manner coming from Chakotay's body, Kathryn put her hands on her hips and leveled a glare at him. "If we don't want people to know what happened, then yes, I am concerned about your hair and makeup."

Crossing his hands behind his back, Chakotay realized she was right. In the seven years he'd known her, Kathryn Janeway never showed up on the bridge looking less than her best. In the early years, she'd always appeared in what the crew called her bun of steel. Even in crisis situations she somehow managed to keep her hair mainly under control. Thankfully for Chakotay, it was now short enough all he would have to do was brush it. He wasn't sure he was capable of much more.

"My quarters," Kathryn instructed as she marched out of sickbay, Chakotay following close behind her.

"Don't you mean my quarters?" Chakotay asked.

Kathryn whirled around and glared at him. "Fine. Your quarters," she said, suddenly realizing that switching places with Chakotay would be harder than she imagined when she first suggested the plan. She would have to give up her more spacious quarters. Though, her new body meant she wouldn't have to deal with as many personal grooming routines in the morning.

As they passed two ensigns in the corridors, Kathryn and Chakotay both noticed the strange glances they received. Both crewmen were pretending not to look at the odd behavior of their two commanding officers, though their hushed comments after Kathryn and Chakotay passed indicated that they were disturbed by something. Finally figuring out what was wrong, Chakotay said, "Ummm, Kathryn." It was weird calling his body that name, and even weirder hearing Kathryn's voice escape from his mouth.

"What?" she asked, not even looking at him.

"I usually walk slightly behind you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kathryn asked, not getting what he was hinting at.

"The crewmen noticed. If we want to make this work, we'll have to act like each other as well. Until we find a way to switch ourselves back, I lead the way." That being said, Chakotay sped up just a bit so he was slightly in front of Kathryn.

Realizing the logic of Chakotay's statement, she didn't argue with him. In fact, it hadn't occurred to her that Chakotay normally walked slightly behind her. That she would lead the way and he would follow had always been a given in their professional relationship, even from the early days when she still didn't trust him. She'd never given much thought to Chakotay's natural instinct to walk slightly behind her.

As they entered the turbolift, Chakotay called for deck two. Kathryn suddenly realized that she, too, was the one who normally told the computer where they were going. Adjusting to her new role as Chakotay was becoming increasingly complicated.

Turning to face Kathryn, Chakotay was all too aware of how much shorter she was. It had never occurred to him that he was significantly taller until he his neck craned upwards to look her in the eyes. "Also, you should occasionally put your hand on my back," he told her.

Kathryn looked at him quizzically. "Why?" she asked.

Chakotay shrugged. "I do it all the time."

Puzzled, Kathryn responded, "No you don't."

Chakotay chuckled. "I do. You just never notice it."

"Fine," Kathryn agreed, though internally, she reviewed her memories, trying to figure out if he actually ever put his hand on her back. An event from early on in their journey suddenly entered her mind. They were in engineering, watching B'Elanna as newly appointed chief engineer. That Chakotay was proud of B'Elanna and trusted her implicitly was obvious. She recalled years ago how, as they walked down to the lower deck in engineering, Chakotay placed his hand on the small of her back and asked if she would have served under him. Kathryn gasped at the startling revelation from the memory.

Kathryn was worried Chakotay would comment on her unexpected noise when the turbolift came to a stop and Chakotay exited. Kathryn followed behind, resisting her natural urge to take the lead. She though she was off the hook when Chakotay asked, "What was that about?"

Kathryn remained silent for a moment before she said, "Remember early on how you asked me that if our positions were reversed would I have served under you."

Chakotay laughed, both at the memory of his unintentional innuendo and her evasion of his question all those years ago. "Of course."

"I guess you now have your answer," Kathryn replied, "Congratulations, captain."

"Captain?" Chakotay asked, then suddenly realized how dumb his question sounded. "Of course. It'll be strange calling you Commander, you know."

Janeway smiled for the first time since she discovered their predicament. "Agreed. But don't get too comfortable in the big chair. I plan on getting it back."

Stopping and turning to look directly at her, Chakotay said, "Don't worry. I know my place on this ship."

"Good," Kathryn growled, "You'd better."


	5. Chapter 5

"No," Chakotay said emphatically as he shook his head. He brushed his hear and washed his face, and he didn't want to do any more. Then, he was subjected to having creams Kathryn called moisturizer and foundation rubbed all over his face. "I've had enough."

Kathryn ignored his protests as she held up a metal implement. "We've only just gotten started," she declared.

Shaking his head again, Chakotay said, "No. That looks like a torture device."

"It's not," Kathryn replied in exasperation. At the rate Chakotay's makeover was going, they were both going to be very late to the bridge. "Since this is all so difficult for you to grasp, I'm leaving out everything that isn't essential. Now stand still and tilt your head up." Knowing how stubborn she could be, Chakotay reluctantly gave in and tilted his head upwards, closing his eyes waiting for the worst to happen. "Open your eyes," Kathryn instructed, and Chakotay did so, hoping to get the experience over with.

He let out a gasp of surprise as the cool metal clamped around his eyelashes. "What the hell was that for?" He glared at Kathryn as she released his eyelashes from the implement.

"Other side," was all she said as she repeated the procedure. If possible, Chakotay looked even more unhappy than he had before, but he grudgingly complied. Before he knew it, Kathryn was brandishing something else under his eye. "No hold still," she instructed as she moved the dark colored brush closer to his eye. Chakotay fought to hold still, but the touch of the brush so close to his eye made him flinch, causing the brush to jab him in the eye.

"What was that for?" Chakotay demanded angrily.

"I told you to stay still." Kathryn had never spent excessive amounts of time on her appearance, only enough to present a well-groomed front. She certainly took less enjoyment in the act of putting on makeup than most other women she knew, but showing Chakotay how to apply makeup was coming close to torture as far as she was concerned. After many attempts, she finally managed to put a light coat of mascara on Chakotay's eyelashes. He looked none-too-happy by the end. Without saying a word, she handed him the lipstick. "You can do this part," she instructed.

Deftly, Chakotay grasped the tube and faced the mirror as he put on the lipstick. Kathryn looked at his handiwork, seemingly satisfied. "Good," she stated, "now do what I do." With that, she put one of her fingers in her mouth, and clamping her lips down around it she slowly pulled it out. Waiting for Chakotay to follow her example, she saw his dumbstruck look. She wondered what was so shocking, and then she suddenly realized what the gesture must have looked like. If she were in her own body, she would have been bright pink. As it was, Chakotay's naturally darker skin covered up the signs of her obvious embarrassment. "It will rub off the excess lipstick so it doesn't get on your teeth," she hastily explained.

Chakotay looked skeptical though he reluctantly copied her. Unfortunately for him, the much lighter skin of his body was flushed red by the time he finished. Kathryn inhaled sharply. "One last touch," she murmured as she lightly brushed his cheeks with color, not that they needed the help at the moment. "All done," she pronounced, glad to be done with the whole ordeal.

"Good," Chakotay retorted, "Do you seriously do this every day?"

"Yes." Kathryn glared at him as if to say the answer should be obvious. Chakotay looked taken aback at the prospect of repeating those rituals until he could get his own body back.

Then, a thought occurred to him. "You should shave," he said. When he was met by Kathryn's confused look, he said, "Your face. By tomorrow you'll need to shave your face."

Kathryn's look went from confused to incredulous at warp six. "Why don't you use a hair growth suppressant cream?"

Chakotay was lost in thought for a moment before he replied, "I suppose I like the daily ritual of it."

"And you think makeup is bad," she grumbled. Then, a look of pure delight crossed her face. "Of course, you still need to put on your shoes."

Chakotay didn't like the gleeful look that suddenly crossed her face. "I'm wearing shoes," he protested. Indeed, he was wearing a pair of boots he had frequently seen her wearing off duty.

"Those aren't Starfleet regulation," Kathryn said as she led him out into the main bedroom.

Opening her closet, she pulled out a pair of heeled boots. Chakotay took one look at the shoes before he paled and shook his head. "No. No, no no. I refuse. Absolutely not."

Kathryn ignored him and tossed the shoes towards him. "Too bad. I wear them everyday, which means now you have to too. And they're regulation."

Chakotay narrowed his eyes at her. "As if you care about regulation."

"Just what is that supposed to mean, Commander?" Her tone was dangerous.

"It's captain now," Chakotay replied, "and your underwear certainly isn't regulation."

Kathryn went from enraged to dangerous. "You looked at my underwear!" she exclaimed in horror.

"It's not exactly like I had a choice," Chakotay retorted, "It was that or show up to sickbay in your nightgown. Would you have preferred that?"

Kathryn wanted to argue with him she was so enraged, but she couldn't deny his point, "Yes," she reluctantly agreed. Then, her face lit up again, "Last time I checked, Starfleet regs prohibit sleeping in the nude." Caught you, she thought.

Chakotay only looked slightly abashed, "You looked?" he asked her.

"Would you rather have me show up to sickbay nude?" Kathryn parroted his own words back at him. When Chakotay didn't respond right away, she added as an afterthought, "Though the larger portion of the female crewmembers wouldn't mind."

"Touché," Chakotay responded. Then, a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Did you like what you saw?" The moment he asked the question, he knew he had gone too far. Even though he was looking at his own face, he recognized Kathryn's expression suddenly turn blank, her universal reaction to situations she found uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. Forget I asked," Chakotay added hurriedly.

Kathryn waved off his apology. "Put on the shoes," she commanded. This time, Chakotay didn't argue. He sat down in the nearest chair and tugged off the boots he was wearing to replace them with the heeled boots. Standing up again, he wobbled uncomfortably. Then, the took a step forward. Or, rather, he tried to take a step forward. He wobbled unsteadily on his feet, his sudden grasp on the chair the only thing that kept him from toppling over.

"How do you walk in these?" Chakotay asked.

Kathryn paused for a moment. She wasn't sure exactly how she walked in them. She just knew that she did. "I suppose I put one foot in front of the other and move heel to foot." Chakotay glared at her unappreciatively. The answer she gave sounded obvious and wasn't the least bit helpful. "Look, try shortening your strides and take more frequent steps." It took a few minutes, but eventually Chakotay was able to walk around the room without flailing his arms and gripping onto objects for balance ever few seconds. However, Kathryn still noticed something was wrong with the way he walked. She said critically, "Straighten you back and lift up your shoulders." Chakotay did as instructed. "Better," Kathryn nodded appreciatively. His gate wasn't quite right. There was still a part that radiated male when he walked, but it was much better than before. It would have to do.

"Kathryn," Chakotay called right as she was about to leave the room. She turned around to look at him. "Try to slouch a bit more than you walk. I'm not nearly that stiff." Kathryn huffed and did as he asked, looking none to happy about it.


	6. Chapter 6

Kathryn fell into pace behind Chakotay. After almost seven years of serving together, Kathryn didn't realize the habits that had formed between them, certain behaviors that were expected. Certain behaviors that she suddenly had to consciously think about. Never before had she realized just how short she was. With Chakotay's height, she seemed to tower over him. As they walked onto the bridge, she observed the crew snapping to attention, and it wasn't for her benefit. As per her usual habit, she started moving towards her chair, only to veer at the last moment when she realized she needed to sit in Chakotay's place.

"As you were," Chakotay said as he settled down into his chair. "Status report."

"All systems are functioning normally, Captain," Harry Kim replied. Simultaneously, Kathryn and Chakotay both wished there was something wrong. Normally, they enjoyed peaceful days when they didn't have to worry about being blown up by an alien threat. Now, they wanted a ship wide problem, a potentially threatening anomaly to investigate or another species to deal with. Then, at least, they could keep busy and the crew would be less likely to notice their odd behaviors. With the ship unusually calm, they were subject to the scrutiny of the bridge crew, in particular one Tom Paris.

"So, Commander, are you planning on going to Neelix's party tonight? I heard the theme is murder mystery."

"I wasn't planning on it," Kathryn responded. Silence abounded as Tom swiveled around in his chair to look incredulously at the man who appeared to be Chakotay.

"Commander?" Tom questioned as if he didn't quite believe what he was hearing. "You always attend Neelix's parties."

"Not this time," Kathryn responded while mentally beating herself up over her slip. Chakotay always attended Neelix's parties. Most of the parties she went to were simply to get Chakotay and Neelix stop nagging her about socializing more. As captain, she was reluctant to attend ship wide events, knowing the crew wouldn't ever fully relax with her present. For the time being, though, she wasn't the captain so she would be expected to attend.

"Commander, my ready room," Chakotay interjected before Tom could question her strange behavior any further.

With a deft nod of agreement, Kathryn stood and followed Chakotay. Once the doors to the ready room slid closed behind them, Chakotay started, "You have to be a bit more social if you want to keep up this charade."

"I know," Kathryn retorted, "and you have to be a bit less social."

"Noted," Chakotay paused for a moment to gather his bearings, "you can find my schedule under program Chakotay alpha 559. Is there anything else you need."

"Your door code," Kathryn responded after a moment's silence.

"I'll change it…" Chakotay said hurriedly.

"There's no need. You can just give me the code," Kathryn abruptly cut him off.

Chakotay looked stunned for a moment before he solidified his expression. "That won't be necessary."

"Then consider it an order."

Chakotay knew from Kathryn's steely gaze that she wasn't going to back down. Slightly embarrassed, he said, "It's your birthday."

"What?" Kathryn asked.

"The code to my rooms is your birthday." Chakotay turned to face the window so Kathryn wouldn't notice the red that unwittingly spread across his face at his admission. If Kathryn found his statement strange, she kept silent.

"Understood," she acknowledged, "If that's all."

"I'll need the crew evaluation by tomorrow," Chakotay said, turning the conversation away from the dangerous direction it was heading. "Dismissed."

Kathryn was about to issue a retort at the abrupt dismissal when she suddenly bit her lip. After years away from Starfleet Command, she was unused to following orders. Her orders were always the highest authority, and she herself accountable to no one, save her own consciousness and Chakotay, her voice of reason. However, years of training asserted themselves as she acknowledged Chakotay for what he was, her commanding officer. For the moment.

Without another word, Kathryn left the ready room. All eyes on the bridge turned towards her, but she tried to ignore them. "I'll be in my office. Tuvok, you have the bridge."

Sitting down at her new desk, Kathryn instructed, "Computer, show program Chakotay alpha 559." The computer screen in front of her illuminated Chakotay's schedule. She looked down the list.

0700 - Shift begins, make sure Kathryn eats breakfast

0800 - Work on duty rosters

0830 - Counseling, Tal Celes and Billy Telfer

0900 - Defense training for alpha shift

1000 - Senior staff briefing

1100 - Lunch, convince Kathryn to eat

1145 - Finish duty rosters

1200 - Counseling, Chapman

1230 - Counseling, Henley

1300 - Bridge

1330 - Meeting with Neelix

1400 - Defense training for beta shift

1500 - Work on crew evaluations

1615 - Meeting with EMH

1700 - Defense training for gamma shift

1800 - Shift ends

1815 - Holodeck with B'Elanna

1900 - Neelix's party, make sure Kathryn attends

Kathryn's jaw dropped open as she looked at the exceedingly long list of duties on Chakotay's list. His entire day was full, and she was completely unaware that he served as a "counselor." She wasn't cocky enough to say she knew everything that happened on her ship, but she thought she knew Chakotay's schedule at the very least. Apparently she didn't. She also noticed that her name appeared frequently on his schedule, as if he thought it was his duty to convince her to eat and take care of himself. As if! She didn't need a baby sitter. Indignant, she abruptly stood up and stormed out of her office.

If the bridge crew was surprised to see her again so soon, they wisely kept quiet. She pressed the button for entrance into the ready room, and wasted no time entering when she head Chakotay call for her to come in. The first thing Kathryn noticed was that Chakotay was reclined in her chair with his feet propped up on her desk. "Just what do you think you are doing?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes.

Chakotay recognized her familiar expression, but it was strange seeing it on his face. She was angry about something. Nonchalantly, he said, "My numerous duties as captain."

"Really?" Kathryn challenged. Chakotay sure didn't look like he was working.

To her frustration, he held up a report, "This just came from the doctor. So far he has found no way to switch us back."

"How productive," Kathryn snapped.

Chakotay studied her face intently. "Just tell me what is wrong."

That was all the invitation Kathryn needed to begin her tirade. "I can't believe you," she seethed, "Do you find it you duty to act as my babysitter! I don't need you to tell me when to eat!"

She was about to continue venting when Chakotay cut her off, "If I don't tell you to eat, you don't." When it looked like Kathryn was about to interrupt, he continued his speech, "You never have more than coffee for breakfast. You forget lunch more often than you remember, and you usually continue working long after your duty shift ends, neglecting dinner and only leaving a few hours for you to sleep, so yes, I do make sure you take care of yourself because I know you won't if left to your own devices."

Kathryn was infuriated that she couldn't contradict any of his claims, knowing them to be true. She was a workaholic who simply forgot to eat most of the time, but she didn't like him calling her out on it. "You have no right, Commander."

"It's captain," Chakotay corrected, "and as first officer, my first responsibility is to take care of the captain. If you didn't need to be reminded to eat, I wouldn't have to."

"Just what are you trying to imply? Do you think I don't care about my own health?" This time, Kathryn was incredulous.

Chakotay sighed in exasperation. He shouldn't have told her how to access his schedule. This was how this whole mess started. "Look, Kathryn, you put this crew in front of your own health and safety. Someone has to take care of you. You've already lost too much weight recently, despite my best efforts to convince you to eat."

Kathryn glowered at him. "I don't need you to be my keeper." When Chakotay failed to respond, she huffed, "I'm going to sickbay to help the doctor."

Without waiting to be dismissed, Kathryn turned and strode towards the door. Before she could leave, a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. "You're going to your office since you have a meeting with Celes and Telfer in five minutes," Chakotay corrected.

"I'll cancel it then," Kathryn protested. "Now let me go." She didn't realize that with her new found height, weight strength she could easily extricate herself from Chakotay's grasp.

"You can't just cancel on them, Kathryn," Chakotay informed her.

Kathryn didn't like being told what to do. "And why not?" she asked angrily.

Chakotay inhaled deeply to regain his patience, "I've already had to postpone this meeting twice. They really need relationship counseling."

"Relationship?" Kathryn gasped. She knew Celes and Telfer were friends, but she never even suspected their relationship went much beyond that.

"Yes, relationship counseling," Chakotay said as if his answer should be obvious. Kathryn was taken aback. She thought she was relatively well-informed about her crew. Apparently, she was totally oblivious as to what was going on.

"How did I not know they are seeing each other?" she asked more to herself than to Chakotay.

"How should I know?" Chakotay responded, still a bit hostile towards her.

Kathryn shot him a glare informing him that her question was rhetorical. "I'll take my leave. I have a counseling appointment," she said, not waiting to be dismissed before she left the ready room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chakotay paced through the spacious ready room, replaying the argument with Kathryn over and over. He knew she had a right to be offended that he thought she couldn't take care of herself. If their positions were reversed, he knew he would have been mad at her. It was her aggressive manner as she confronted him that immediately put him on the defensive.

Instead of spending his duty shift trying to accomplish something, he was trying to work out how to fix things with Kathryn. All too soon, it was time for the senior staff briefing. He didn't want to confront her and pretend that everything was ok when it wasn't. He also knew that the senior officers would pick up on the tension, though he hoped they wouldn't mention it.

Soon, Chakotay stood at the head of the briefing room table with Kathryn right by his side. The tension between the captain and first officer was palpable, and the room was unusually silent. After a hurried meeting, all the senior officers filed out. Once it was only Kathryn and Chakotay who remained behind, Chakotay turned towards her. "I'm sorry. You were right."

Kathryn should have enjoyed his concession, but their recent argument was too fresh. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have overreacted."

Chakotay felt his heart rate speed up. "Kathryn, I do think you are a very capable captain, the best captain I have ever served under." He saw Kathryn's small smile at his praise, which encouraged him to continue, "I know it might seem like I think you are incapable of taking care of yourself, but that's not it."

"Then what is it?" Kathryn's voice didn't contain the tone of hostility that was present only a few hours earlier.

Chakotay wasn't sure how much he should reveal with his answer. Finally deciding that only a complete explanation would suffice, he began, "I worry about you because I care about you. Maybe my actions border on excessive, and for that I'm sorry."

Kathryn only heard the first half of his explanation as she repeated, "You care about me?"

Chakotay stopped abruptly and stared at her. how could Kathryn possibly think he didn't care about her? "Of course I care about you," he assured her, "Why wouldn't I? Have I given any indication…"

"No, it's not that," Kathryn cut him off, "I…It's just…Recently we've become more distant towards each other. I…we don't talk like we used to. I thought you were made at me for something, but I had no idea what I did to cause it…"

Chakotay had never heard Kathryn unsure of herself before. Uncertain, maybe, but never at a complete loss for what to say. That surprised him more than anything she said. "I know I've been canceling on you a lot lately," Chakotay acknowledged, "But I still care about you. You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend too," Kathryn said with a smile, "Maybe we could go to Neelix's party together."

Chakotay smiled. "I thought you weren't going to go."

Kathryn smiled and shook her head no. "Well, as Tom pointed out, you always go to shipwide events. Now I have to." When Chakotay said nothing right away, she said, "I'd really like the company. And I can use this opportunity to really get to know the crew."

Chakotay couldn't keep silent any longer. Grinning, he said, "I can't wait. You can pick me up tonight."

Kathryn smiled broadly as she changed the subject, "At risk of seeming like I care about my health, would you like to join me for lunch."

Chakotay grinned as he shook his head. "Kathryn Janeway volunteering to eat lunch. Now here is the day. Let me record this momentous occasion for posterity."

"Stop it," Kathryn smacked Chakotay on the arm, though Chakotay knew she wasn't really upset. Instead, he turned and started leading them to the mess hall.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows and favorites so far. You guys are amazing. **

**Also, I just found out I got the job I applied for (in a Noble laureate's lab *squeals with excitement*)! However, this means I probably won't be able to keep up with the weekly updates for much longer. Continued reviews will certainly motivate me though. **

* * *

Kathryn sat quietly at her new desk working on duty rosters. She had always hated reviewing them when Chakotay gave them to her. Now, sorting out duty shifts was even worse. She was drawn from her work by her door chiming.

"Come," she called nonchalantly, looking up to see William Chapman enter the room. "What can I do for you, lieutenant?"

"We have our weekly meeting today," Chapman replied, looking confused as he did so.

"Of course," Kathryn replied, recalling the counseling appointment in Chakotay's schedule.

Her thoughts immediately flashed to her earlier session with Celes and Telfer. It hadn't gone over well. The meeting started with Celes and Telfer sitting stiffly next to each other, but by the end of the session, they were almost to the point of a shouting match. She suspected the only reason they attempted to restrain themselves was her presence. Celes had started the session by complaining about Telfer's proclivity to leave his shoes and towels lying around in her room without picking them up. Telfer became notably angered when she sided with Celes, asking him why he couldn't respect Celes' wishes to be cleaner. From there, the conversation degenerated even further. Not knowing how to settle the domestic squabble, she tried to diffuse the tension, but each time she intervened, Telfer accused her of siding with Celes. She thought she was being neutral! Over the course of the half hour session, she gained a considerable amount of respect for Chakotay and his dealing with personnel issues. She wasn't a counselor, and neither was he. On any other ship, it would be unfortunate if a relationship went wrong, but here on _Voyager,_ it was essential the couple settled the argument. There were no possibilities of transfers, and nor could the ship afford to have hostile exes constantly running into each other. She suddenly wished she possessed Chakotay's ability to diffuse arguments with his calm demeanor. Her first attempt at playing counselor ended in a miserable failure. For someone as skilled as she at mediating negotiations with hostile species, she failed to help her own crew.

Hoping this session would go better than the last, she greeted Chapman. "Please, sit down." She indicated towards the chair in front of her desk, but instead, Chapman moved towards the couch, sitting on one end. Kathryn put down her pad and moved to follow him. She remained quiet, unsure how to begin.

Luckily, Chapman soon began speaking. "I...I want to thank you for last week, commander. I really appreciate having a willing ear to speak to."

Kathryn smiled and nodded her head. She was already way out of her depth. She could give orders, make life or death decision, but one-on-one counseling? This was something she had never been trained for. "I am glad to help," she said somewhat awkwardly.

Chapman took a shaky breath before asking, "I just...It's hard to imagine that when we finally get back home, she won't be there to greet me." This left Kathryn more confused than before. Who was the she Chapman was talking about. At that moment, Chapman choose to elaborate, "It's unreal, my sister was too young..." Chapman abruptly broke off, staring into space. Kathryn could see the tears threatening to fall, and she suddenly realized what happened. She hadn't even know Chapman had a sister.

"I'm sorry," she replied sadly as she moved closer to him, gently laying her hand on his arm out of an instinct to comfort.

Chapman looked at Kathryn's face and saw her openly compassionate gaze. "Commander, is something wrong?" he asked looking quite concerned.

Kathryn felt a stab to her gut. "No. Everything's fine. Why do you say that?" she immediately covered.

"You haven't been acting like yourself." Chapman looked pointedly at her hand which was still on his shoulder. Of course, she realized, Chakotay didn't have a habit of touching people like she did. As if burned, she abruptly pulled her hand away. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again, noticing the shocked and slightly appalled expression on her face.

"Yes," she replied curtly. Rising to her feet, she gestured for him to follow. "If that is all, lieutenant" she indicated towards the door, leaving no doubt that she was dismissing him.

"Understood, sir," Chapman said before exiting. Once in the corridor, he was puzzled. Despite his protests, Chakotay clearly wasn't okay. Something was bothering him. His posture was different, more stiff, and he only ever called him by his name when in a counseling appointment. Never lieutenant. With that in mind, he started towards the Captain's ready room, knowing he could most likely find Captain Janeway there. She, at least, might be able to ensure Chakotay was ok.

Meanwhile, Janeway sat back down at her desk, trying to finish the duty rosters from before. She hadn't made much progress when the chime on her door sounded again. "Come," she called warily. It was Ensign Mariah Henley, and Kathryn recalled she also had a counseling appointment. Not wanting to create the same confusion as she had with Chapman, she immediately rose and walked towards the couch. "Please, sit down."

Henley wasted no time collapsing down onto the opposite end of the couch, her posture very relaxed. Kathryn found her complete informality strange, but she mentioned nothing. Allowing herself to slouch a bit more, she said, "How are you doing?"

"Good," Henley responded automatically, "to be honest, I don't know why we still have these meetings. Habit, more than anything else right." Henley laughed gently, and Kathryn felt herself relaxing around this woman. As the captain, she never had the opportunity to get to know the crew. Mariah Henley had turned out to be a decent officer, undisciplined at first, but valuable later on. Kathryn had never seen this side to the woman before.

"Yes, habit," Kathryn responded noncommittally.

"I don't think I've ever told you this before, Chakotay, but I really appreciate everything you've done for me. You were right about Starfleet, and the captain as well." Kathryn's attention piqued at hearing her name mentioned. "I never thought I could accept a Starfleet Captain, but you know something, I'm glad I'm here now. I can't imagine a place I'd rather be."

Kathryn was astounded. Did Henley really mean that? "Even though you're so far from your family?" she probed.

Unexpectedly, Henley laughed again. "What has gotten into you? This is my home. I know you feel _Voyager_ is your home. At risk of sounding overly sentimental, we're a family here." Kathryn knew the crew had grown closer over the years, forming an strong bond as they were the only humans in the Delta Quadrant, but to hear a member of the crew speak so proudly of being on _Voyager_ went a long way towards relieving her of her guild for stranding the crew.

Henley suddenly gasped. "Oh!" she looked excited, and enlightened, which was certainly more than Kathryn was feeling. "Oh!" she exclaimed again, "You heard news from Sekaya in the last data stream! That's wonderful."

Kathryn was stunned as Henley suddenly closed the space between them and engulfed her in a hug. She knew Sekaya was Chakotay's sister. He had occasionally mentioned her, though she wondered what good news Chakotay could have possibly received that could make Henley so happy. "Congratulations, uncle."

Kathryn was caught off guard. Chakotay had known Sekaya was pregnant and had never told her. She counted him as her best friend, and though their friendship had started to decline following the incident with the Equinox, she still considered him her closest friend. Apparently, Chakotay hadn't felt the same way about her or he would have mentioned his pending uncle-hood. Wouldn't he? "I actually haven't heard..." she started.

Henley abruptly withdrew, and Kathryn was grateful that the hug was over. "Well, I'll save my congratulations for another time," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "On that note, I should probably be going. It was nice talking to you."

"Of course," Kathryn confirmed, still a bit unnerved. Standing, she followed Henley towards the door. "Ensign," she said formally as the cheerful woman left her alone.

Consulting Chakotay's schedule, Kathryn noted it was time for her to appear on the bridge. This, at least, she knew how to deal with. She moved onto the bridge, taking her normal chair. Luckily, Chakotay frequently sat in her chair when she wasn't there so no one on the bridge found her behavior odd. She wasn't prepared for was the lively banter. It was normal for Tom Paris to joke while on bridge duty, but she rarely heard the other officers participate. Apparently, they only felt the need to be restrained while she was present.

"Come on, Harry, answer the question, fire or ice?" Tom asked.

"I'd rather not die, Tom," Harry replied in exasperation.

"Just choose one," Tom prompted.

"Fine, fire," Harry said.

"Fire as well," Ensign Sam Wildman said.

Turning to face tactical, Tom asked, "What about you, Tuvok? Would you rather die by fire or by ice?"

Tuvok briefly looked up from his console to answer with typical Vulcan detachment, "That is an illogical question, Lieutenant, because it is doubtful I will have the opportunity to choose my own means of dying."

Tom rolled his eyes, and Kathryn couldn't help but be amused by her friend's answer. Deciding to answer the question herself, she said, "Ice. Then I would just feel like I was falling asleep. Ice would be a more preferable death."

Tom turned to face her, and Kathryn hoped he wouldn't notice anything amiss. "And here I though you hated the cold, old man," Tom teased.

Kathryn was affronted by his teasing. Tom was not the most respectful of officers, of that she was perfectly aware, but his tone was unacceptable. "Old man?" she queried dangerously.

"Sure thing, grandpa," Tom said, laughing at the look of fury that crossed Kathryn's face. As the captain, she was exempt from all jokes relating to her age, at least when she was within earshot. Apparently, the same curtesy did not extend to Chakotay.

"Watch it, lieutenant," she warned, "or you will be scrubbing the plasma manifolds with a toothbrush."

Tom immediately sobered at her threat and turned to face his console once more, pretending to furiously enter calculations.


	9. Chapter 9

Chakotay left the mess hall with a dazed smile. His lunch meeting with Kathryn was wonderful. Although their situation was disconcerting, she seemed somehow more carefree while in his body. Today he had a glimpse of the Kathryn Janeway from the beginning of their voyage, lighthearted and funny, relaxed, not as stressed, though it was disconcerting watching those expressions flicker across his face. He marveled at how not being the captain for only a few hours had caused such a drastic change. He wasn't complaining though. He enjoyed her company.

He contemplated returning to the ready room, as he knew Kathryn would have done, but something stopped him. While his morning had been slightly more restful than normal, he missed the buzz of activity of constantly being involved with the crew. Not willing to endure any more solitude that day, Chakotay abruptly changed directions and decided to head to engineering. The doors opened as he stepped in front of him. Chakotay entered, looking about for B'Elanna. Turning his head towards the right side of the room, he saw a pair of feet sticking out from underneath a consul. "B'Elanna," he said as he approached the feet.

B'Elanna was shocked at the sound of the Captain's voice. Her head immediately shot upward, connecting with the hard surface of the underside of the console. She let out a string of Klingon curses as she extricated herself from underneath. The moment she saw Kathryn's face, she abruptly stopped speaking. "Captain!" B'Elanna exclaimed in shock.

Chakotay immediately noticed B'Elanna was more tense than normal. She stood to attention, posture rigid. Never had B'Elanna been so formal towards him, even when he was captain on the _Liberty_. "At ease," he said as he started to regret going to engineering. As Chakotay, his surprise visit would have been well-received, but as Kathryn, he saw the wary look on B'Elanna's face as she both tolerated the captain's presence in her engine room and hoped that the captain would find nothing displeasing.

"This is just a social visit," Chakotay attempted to correct some of the damage he had done with his surprise visit. B'Elanna just looked confused. Over the years, she had become accustomed to the captain's infrequent walks around the ship, walks that almost always led her to engineering, but the captain never did much more than do a cursory lap of engineering before leaving. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the captain's request.

"Captain," B'Elanna said confidently despite her confusion, "I appreciate the gesture, but this-" she gestured towards the console, "-needs to be fixed."

"Of course." Chakotay realized he was in the way. More awkwardly, he said, "Some other time then."

"Yes, captain," B'Elanna replied as she knelt on the floor and began working her way under the consul.

Chakotay left engineering, deciding instead to go to astrometrics. The captain frequently went to astrometrics, so no one would find that behavior odd.

Chakotay stood patiently outside the turbolift. It opened to reveal Mike Ayala already inside. Chakotay entered as well and called for astrometrics. "Good afternoon, Captain," Ayala said.

"Afternoon," Chakotay replied. Just like B'Elanna a few minutes ago, Ayala was also unusually tense. "At ease," Chakotay repeated his order from before. Mike relaxed slightly, but he still seemed to be searching for something to say, not quite sure what conversation was appropriate with the captain yet also not wanting to maintain the tense silence. Chakotay was relieved when Ayala finally got off the lift if only to end the awkward silence.

As he made the short walk from the turbolift to astrometrics, Chakotay finally understood why Kathryn often felt so lonely. She held herself at a distance from the crew, and they respected her as their commanding officer. After seven years with only himself and a few passing aliens as friends, it was no wonder Kathryn was frequently lonely and why she was prone to locking herself away in her ready room. Years of denying herself friends had taken their toll. Chakotay knew from his time in Starfleet that captains were encouraged to maintain their distance, a distance Kathryn embraced. However, Starfleet never would have predicted _Voyager_'s predicament. In the Delta Quadrant with no other ships around and without a family, Kathryn had no one who didn't serve under her, no one to contact who was a captain and therefore her same rank, and no family to turn to. The crew might have become her family. He understood that, but Kathryn, he suddenly realized, probably never did. Command was a lonely place, even in the Maquis where protocol was much less strict, and he suddenly felt sorry for Kathryn for having only a few people who she could talk to.

Even since New Earth, they had formed a genuine friendship, though ever since the incident with the Equinox two years previously, Kathryn had started to withdraw from him a little. Guiltily, he realized that he was letting her. Chakotay resolved that when they were back in their own bodies he would make more of an effort to get her to interact with the crew.

In astrometrics, Chakotay noticed Seven was working diligently at the main consul, no doubt gathering information about whatever stellar phenomena on sensors had most recently caught her fancy. "Seven," Chakotay greeted her.

"Captain," Seven acknowledged without even removing her eyes from her work. She didn't say anything else, simply waiting for him to make the first move.

Coming to stand beside Seven, Chakotay peered over her shoulder trying to figure out what she was working on. "An M class planet was detected 200 light years from here. The indigenous people are a prewarp civilization."

Chakotay was immediately interested. "Notify the bridge to alter corse towards the planet," he instructed.

"Acknowledged," Seven replied as she tapped more commands into a PADD. "If that is all, Captain?"

Realizing a dismissal when he heard it, Chakotay immediately retreated. "I'll see you at Neelix's party tonight," he said and left before he could hear her reply.


End file.
